SAN FRANCISCO—Over 10,000 hotel workers in San Francisco are currently unemployed with nearly half of the hotels in the city closed, according to state data gathered through Friday, July 31. The Hotel Council of San Francisco announced on Monday, August 3, that San Francisco is one of four counties in the state of California that will not allow hotels to reopen.

The approximately 10,899 hotel workers constitute 44 percent of San Francisco’s 25,000 hotel workers. 92 hotels in the city have closed which constitutes 42 percent of the city’s 215 hotels, according to data gathered by the California Employment Development Department and city’s Hotel Council.

The increase in closures were a result of recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Department of Public Health, Cal/OSHA, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Kevin Carroll, the President and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, said, “The coronavirus is a developing global situation, and we are committed to keeping our members and communities informed of the latest developments regarding COVID-19 at this time. The San Francisco Hotel industry will continue to work closely with our city partners to ensure a safe and welcoming experience for our guests and employees.  We will communicate any updates as we receive them.”